Without wanting to sound too critical, there is some naive music on Wish Hotel; it feels a tad bloated in places, and there's the occasional miss in terms of instrumental choices to go along with a plethora of hits.

Underneath the jarring keyboards and jerky percussion is a delicacy gives the LP international appeal, one that means it won’t be confined to cars and packed warehouses.

How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident is arguably the band's finest hour.

Overall, Stars Are Our Home is a delightfully mixed bag that does rare justice to the term 'supergroup'.

Nine of the 13 tracks go over the five minute mark, and despite the combined fertility of Arcade Fire and producer James Murphy’s creative minds, very few tracks justify their running times.

There is not much here that jumps out of the speakers, or that makes you want to scream with excitement; instead it is a release that slowly gets under your skin, and most importantly, doesn’t force its concept down your throat.

While City Forgiveness does allow the trio breathing room, they never use that space to justify the length--they’re doing what they do, and doing it well, but the over-familiarity when faced with 90 minutes of this stuff does great songs a disservice.

Fade Away is the sound of a band clinging to the lost potential of their past for buoyancy, trying desperately not to drown in their own aimlessness.

Some of the characters created here are more fully formed than others.

It's completely inessential at best, or a cynical cash-grab at worst.

There are plenty of strengths to Shulamith, not least that it chiefly shares its blueprints with its spellbinding debut. But in expanding its horizons, it dents the assured sense of identity which made Give You the Ghost so utterly enrapturing, and reverses the dichotomy of maximalist-emotion alongside minimalist-music.

Warble Womb is unquestionably lighter than Dead Meadow’s previous psych-stoner releases and the restoration of original drummer Mark Laughlin does not signal a return to their meatier roots.

Ultimately, Bitter Rivals offers the comfort of familiarity while being different enough to avoid breeding contempt.

While Wild Light correctly prioritises focus over twists, there are sections that catch you by surprise.

For a record sold on its modernity, New spends most of the time in the past.

It’s the sound of someone getting the kinks out of the system rather than incorporating old influences seamlessly into a new sound. Still, the final verdict? Very decent.

Not classic Pearl Jam by any stretch - let’s not get carried away here--but enough to kindle at least a little optimism for whatever comes next.

While not a failure, Uncanney Valley isn’t the glorious comeback many were expecting.

It’s a record to get lost in, and to find yourself in. And to put it as plainly as possible: it’s a record as emotionally and musically rewarding as anything Cass McCombs has ever released.

Another essential release then, but a step towards theory-over-content that Hecker never really needed.

Lousy with Sylvianbriar won’t ever be viewed as the quintessential Of Montreal album. But sourness aside, it’s the healthy sound of a restless spirit.

Fortunately Grellier includes enough moments of excitement to keep Heritage less of a soundtrack album and more a French disco LP stripped of vocals.

With Dynamics, Holy Ghost! have struck a careful balance between revisiting their mid-Noughties origins and playing with new ideas within a similar arena.

The only downside with Imperium is that maybe its creators have neglected the more intricate details of songwriting (verse/chorus/verse anyone?) for an angular propensity but on the whole, it's a finely tuned assortment and another welcome addition to Captured Tracks' impeccable catalogue of riches.

For an album so heavily influenced by architecture, it’s sorely lacking in structure and shape, and ultimately fails to make an imprint in spite of its broadened horizons.

Master is a record of real and rare magnificence.

Not only have they made a better record than their debut, they’ve made one of the best records of the young decade.

One Breath benefits from its variety and from a taste for experimentation which, striking subtle chords that invite the listener to stay and revisit.